Crate.



PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905.

H. H. GUMMBR.

CRATE.

APPLIGATION FILED 1133.28. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEYS PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905.

H'. H.' GUMMER.

CRATE.

PPLIGATION FILED 121113.28. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. Zf

mmfs'sss:

,ATTORNEYS c. n. m.. m m n, M m m m m a u .wn N M UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE vSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1905.

Application filed February 28, 1905. Serial No. 247,667.

.To all whom, it mfay 'concern/.-

Beit known that I, HERBERT HARVEY CUM- MER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cadillac, in the county of Wexford and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Crate, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to crates, and is an improvement on the crate patented by me February 20, 18911, No. 515,196.3 i

The present improvements relate especially to the construction of the crate at the bottom and the cover.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which similar characters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective representing a crate embodying my improvements and showing the same supported upon one corner, so as to expose the bottom. This view also includes the cover, which is shown removed and in a position adjacent to the body of the crate.

. Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken through the lower portion of the crate-body and the bottom and showing the bottom about to be placed in position. In this view the bottom is shown in dotted outline in different positions. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the upper portion of the crate and through the cover and showing how the cover is placed in position. Fig. 4f is an end elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 3 as seen from the left. Fig. 5 is an edge view of the crate in afolded condition and seen in an inclined position, and Fig. 6 is a perspective View of an extra cover which I may use in connection with the crate.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 1 represents the body of the crate. This body preferably consists of four walls-side walls 2 and end walls 3-the said walls being formed of longitudinally disposed slats 4. These slats are arranged at the corners in alternating or staggered relation, so that the 'slats of the side walls lie between and space apart the slats of the end walls, and vice versa. At the corners the slats are all connected by cornerrods 5, passed through the slats continuously, as shown, in order to bind the walls into the form of a box. In this manner the walls of the box are permanently secured together; but it should be understood that the connections at the corners are free and virtually constitute hinge-joints, which enable the body of the box to be collapsed in a manner well understood.

The bottom 6 of the crate is always attached to the body thereof and in Fig. 1 is represented in the position which it assumes when the crate is completely formed.

The construction of the crate-body in its relation to the bottom and cover thereof will now be described.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the lower slats of the box are end slats 7, while at the upper portion of the box the upper slats 8 are side slats. (See Fig. This arrangement of the slats is very desirable, as it facilitates the attachment of the bottom and cover. It will further appear, from an inspection of Fig. 1 and 2, that a longitudinally-disposed bolster 9 is provided, which constitutes one edge of the box at the bottom. This bolster is preferably of substantially circular section, as shown. At the opposite bottom edge a longitudinally-disposed bar 10 is provided. This bolster and bar are rigidly attached at their extremities to the transverse slats 7 aforesaid. 'The bottom 6 is formed of a plurality of transversely-disposed slats 11, preferably formed of wide boards, as shown, and these are connected together by a longitudinally-disposed cleat 12, the said cleat being disposed near the middle of the bottom, as shown. As indicated in Fig. 2, a similar cleat 13 is attached near the edge of the bottom which lies adjacent to the bolster 9. In connection with these cleats 12 and 13 attention is called to the fact that at their extremities they project beyond the body portion of the bottom, so that they may engage the lower edges of the side slats 7 aforesaid. Near the edge of the bottom which lies adjacent to the bar 10 a cleat 11 is attached, and this cleat is substantially similar to the cleats 12 and 13, except that its extremities do not project beyond the end walls of the body of the crate. At suitable points on the bolster 9 fastening devices or bails 15 are attached, the same being bent so as to form rings 16, which encircle the body of the bolster, as illustrated. These bails are preferably formed of wire, the bodiesv thereof being preferably formed of twisted wire, as illustrated. These fastenings preferably lie at openings 17 between the slats 11, and the ends of the wire constituting them are preferably bent laterally to form fingers 18, constituting T-heads 19. As illustrated most clearly in Figs. 1 and 2, these T-heads lie on the under side of the body of the bottom and afford opportunity for making a free connection between the bails and the bottom. From the nature of the connection of the bottom with the bolster it should appear that the bottom may move upon the bolster as though it were hinged thereto, it being understood that the rings 16 may slip freely about the body of the bolster for this purpose. Hence the bottom could occupy substantially the position in which it is indicated in dotted outline at 6a. or it could occupy even the 'position in which it is shown also in dotted outline at 6b. When in this latter position, it would lie against the adjacent side wall of the crate-body, as will be readily understood.

By reason of the arrangement of the slats composing the body of the crate, which was referred to above, open spaces or openings 2O and 21 are formed, respectively, in the side walls of the crate-bod y just aoove the bolster 9 and the bar 10. These openings are important in facilitating the placing ofthe bottom in position. In placing the bottom in position the body of the crate will be held so that its adjacent walls are disposed substantially at right angles to each other. Then the edge 22 of the bottom, which lies adjacent to the bar 10, will be passed into the opening 21, as indicated in Fig. 2. The connected edge 23 of the bottom which lies adjacent to the bolster 9 would then be forced upwardly so as to rise above the level of the upper side of the bolster. When in this position, the bottom would then be slid to the right as viewed in Fig. 2 until the edge 23 would rest upon the side of the bolster 9. The bottom would be moved to the right in this manner until the cleat 14 clears the edge of the vbar 10, whereupon the edge 24 of this cleat would abut against the inner face of the bar 10 and would4 lock the bottom against dislocation toward the left. Furthermore, the cleat 13 aforesaid is so positioned that when the edge 24 -drops into position then the edge 25 of the cleat 13 will abut against the inner face of the bolster 9, and in this Way the bottom will be locked against further movement toward the right. It should now be remembered that the cleats'12 and 13 project at their extremities under the edges of the end slats 7, and hence they prevent the bottom being forced upwardly within the body of the crate. In connection with this operation of placing the bottom in position it should be understood that the bodies of the bails 15 would be of sufHcient length to permit the inner edge 23 of the bottom to clear the side of the bolster 9 and be pushed upwardly, and it should be stated also that the operation is much facilitated if the wood out of which the bottom is constructed is somewhat resilient or springy. In Fig. 2 the bottom is represented in dotted outline in its natural position. It should be further understood that the connection between the bails and the bottom is very free at the T-heads 19 and readily permits a lateral sliding movement, such as that described.

Referring now especially to Fig. 3, the end Walls 3 of the body are connected by transversely-disposed bolsters 26 and 27 and these are laid upon and attached to the upper edges of the aforesaid longitudinal slats 8. In this way openings 28 and 29 are formed, respectively, beneath the holsters 26 and 27, and these openings facilitate the positioning of the cover 30 much in the same manner as the openings 2O 21 facilitate the positioning of the bottom. As indicated most clearly in Fig. 3 and also in Fig. 1, the cover 30 is composed of longitudinally disposed slats 31. Near one extremity these slats are connected bya transverse cleat 32 and at the opposite extremity by a similar cleat 33. The extremities of these'cleats preferably project beyond the side edges of the cover and are adapted to engage the upper edges of the side slats 8, as will be readily understood. Adjacent to the edge o f the cleat 33 a block 34 is securely attached to the upper side of the cover, and this block operates as a stop or abutment for securing the cover in place much lin the same manner as the cleat 14 operates in connection with the positioning of the bottom 6.

In Fig. 3 the manner of applying the cover to the crate is clearly illustrated. In this operation the edge of the cover which carries the cleat 34 is pushed in an inclined direction through the opening 29. so that the block 34 passes under the under edge of the bolster 27. The cover is forced in sufficiently to allow the opposite edge 35 to clear the adjacent face of the bolster 26 when the cover is forced downwardly. The cover is now forced downwardly and then toward the right until the edge 35 passes under the bolster 26. This movement toward the rightis continued until the outer edge 37 of the block 34 passes from under the bolster 27, and this edge 37 then operates as a` stop to prevent the movement of the cover toward the left. The cleat 32 is so positioned that its outer longitudinal edge then lies substantially against the inner face of the bolster 26. In this way the cover is locked against a longitudinal movement in either direction. Furthermore, the projecting extremities of the cleats 32 and 33 prevent the cover from being forced downwardly into the crate. In order to remove the cover, the operation just described will be reversed and similarly with respect to the placing of the bottom in position. In connection with the placing of the cover in position, as described, it should be understood that the resiliency of the cover materially assists, and the manner in which the cover adjusts itself when being forced down is very clearly illustrated in Fig. 4. From an inspection of this ligure it will appearthat the cover is bent from a straight line in a transverse plane.

In folding the crate the bottom is moved around so as to occupy the position 6b, as shown in Fig. 2, and the body of the crate then collapsed, as shown in Fig. 5. The cover is then su perposed upon the folded body and bottom. When so folded, evidently the crate occupies 4a very small space and is especially adapted for return shipment.

Instead of using the cover 30, as illustrated in Fig. l, I may use a cover 38, such as that shown in Fig. 6. This cover preferably comprises two longitudinally-disposed slats or panels 39, which are connected by cleats 40. One of these cleats is preferably disposed at one end of the cover and the other at the intermediate position, as shown. I do not employ a block like the blockBL described above; but instead I use a transversely-disposed cleat 41, the extremities whereof do not project beyond the side edges of the cover. This cover may evidently be forced into position in the same manner as the cover 30 described above. The cleat 41 operates, however, as an additional connection between thel slats 39 in addition to its former function of a stop to limit the longitudinal movement of the cover by abutting against the bolster 27.

While the present invention seems to be most applicable in connection with a folding crate or boX. the parts may have substantially the v same construction in a box which does not attached at the edge of one of said walls adjacent to the opening therein, and a bottom having a free connection with said bails, and the edges whereof project into said openings, said cover having members projecting laterally therefrom and engaging the edges of the walls connecting said rst walls.

2. A crate having a body with openings in a pair of opposite walls thereof near their lower edges, bails attached to one of said walls at the lower edges thereof and making a pivotal connection at said edge, and a bottom having a slidingconnection on said bails and adapted to be shifted laterally so that its edges may lie in said openings, said cover having laterally-disposed cleats adapted to engage the -lower edges of said body, certain of said cleats affording means for locking said bottom against lateral movement.

3. A crate having a body with openings near the lower edges of opposite walls, a bolster disposed longitudinally at one of said edges, bails fastened loosely about said bolster, a bottom making a sliding connection with said bails and adapted to have its edges thrust into said openings, said bottom having transversely-disposed cleats projecting under the edges of the walls connecting said opposite walls, and another cleat constituting means for abutting the face of the wall opposite said bolster, said last cleat being adapted to pass with the edge of said bottom into the adjacent opening.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERT HARVEY GUMMER.

/Vitnesses:

FRED S. LAMB, C. C. DAUGHERTY. 

